


^>^ 



1) 



cuxJL X^nAJi 






Ul/*.J^Xl^CL/i^ 



]^JlA^ 





aass_EL2JlS 



I 



I 



WraOWlNGS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 



REVOLUTIONARY NARRATIVES. 
No. II. 



250 copies printed. 

No.// •; 



My Services and Losses in 
aid of the King's Cause 
during the American Rev- 
olution. 



BY 



STEPHEN TUTTLE, 

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND DEPUTY SURVEYOR OF THE 
COLONY OF NEW YORK. 



BROOKLYN, N. Y. : 

Historical Printing Club, 

1890. 






'O 3, 



NOTE. 

Stephen Tuttle, the author of the 
following narrative, is not mentioned 
in any biographical dictionary I have 
been able to consult, nor in any local 
work on Albany, or the American 
loyalists. This MS. is reprinted from 
the original in the State Paper Office 
in London, England. 

Paul Leicester Ford. 

97 Clark St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
(5) 



To the Commissioners appointed by Act 
of Parliament for enquiring into the 
Losses and Services of the American 
Loyalists. 

The Memorial of Stephen Tuttle of 
Machche in the Province of Quebec, 
Surveyor of Lands, Humbly Sheweth, 
That your Memorialist was one 
of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace 
in the County of Albany in the Pro- 
vince of New York, and a Deputy to 
Alexander Golden Esquire Surveyor 
General of said Province. — 

That at an early period of the war 

your Memorialist furnished Arms, 

Ammunitions and Provisions to many 

of His Majesty's Loyal Subjects of that 

(7) 



Province in order to facilitate their 
joining the King's Army in Canada. 

That your Memorialist for the pur- 
pose of procuring Money to relieve 
the distresses of the British and Loy- 
alists which were Prisoners with the 
Enemy both before and after General 
Burgoyne's Convention sold his Ne^ 
groes and Cattle. 

That in consequence of your Me- 
morialist's Loyalty and Attention to 
the British Government your Memor- 
ialist went to Canada, and was there 
employed in the King's Service, and 
was soon after proscribed the State 
of New York, his property confiscated, 
sold and converted to the use of said 
State, which property with the Monies 
advanced for the relief of Prisoners, 
and the other disbursements made for 



9 

the Service of Government amounted 
to about Two Thousand Five Hundred 
Thirty eight Pounds Sixteen ShilHngs 
New York Currency, being the Sum of 
One thousand Four hundred Twenty 
Pounds i/ 6*? SterHng as appears by 
the Account herewith dehvered. 

That your MemoriaHst has a large 
Family in the Province of Quebec, 
and is without the means of support- 
ing them. 

Your Memorialist therefore prays 
that his Case may be taken into Con- 
sideration in order that your Memor- 
morialist may be enabled to receive 
such Aid and relief as his Losses and 
Services may be found to deserve, 
for Stephen Tuttle 

Henry J. Jessup. 

No, j6 Suffolk Street, February 2ph 1^84. 



lO 

Mashiche 26 October 1783. 
A True Estimate of the Lands 
Goods and Chatties of Stephen Tuttle 
late of the County of Albany Esquire 
in the Province of New York lost by 
him in consequence of the late dissen- 
tions in America for his adhering to 
the Government of Great Britain and 
assisting their true Subjects when in 
distress Sc^- 

To one Lett in the Kyadreosseras 

3S}i Acres situate on Hudson's 

River with a good dv/elling 

House and Barn well furnished 

with Out Houses and a tine 

places for erecting Mills and 

about 66 Acres of improved 

Lands with a fine young Or- 
chard. New York Currency . ;,^ 1300 " " 
To a small improvement bought 

of Hugh Maloy 30 " " 



II 

To 1050 x^cres of Land lying in 
the N. E. branch of Hudson's 
River computed at 3/2 p Acre ,^168 " 

To 210 Acres at the South Bay 

computed at 8/ p Acre. ... 84 " 

To 250 Acres at the S. W. corner 

of the Artillery Pattent ... 80 « 

To the Grass of 20 Acres of Mea- 
dow on the east side of Hud- 
son's River 40 " 

To 5 Acres of Buck-wheat priced 

at 20 " 

To 18 Bushels of Potatoes planted 

computed 22 " 10 

To 2 valuable young Horses . . 45 " 

To 20 good Sheep and 80 pounds 

of Wool 2/6 26 " 

To furnishing Arms and Ammu- 
nition for the Loy-alists, 20 lbs of 
Powder, 30 lbs Bullets, 6 Guns 
3 at 10 Dollars each .... 24 " 10 

To Farming Uttensils &c . . . 30 " 

To an Obligation for 100 white 

pine Logs 12 " 



12 

To Household Furniture . . . ^^35 " 
To a Sett of Tools for a Turner . 2 " 

To 10 Hogs 1}^ year old fat 4 do 

8 Months old 34 " 

To 4 Obligations to the amount 
of £200 New York Cury at 7 

P Cent 333 « 

Liquors 6 Gallons of Wine at 10/ 3 " 
To 8 Gallons of French Brandy 
at 10/ p Gallon — To 12 Gal- 
lons Spirits at 8/ 8 " 

To Notes of Hand and Book 

Debts amount to 226 " 

To Fines at different times for not 
obeying to fight against the 

King 40 " 

To Expenses to Assist Scouters 
from the King's Army, and 
Britts and Loyalists when im- 
prisoned just before and after 
General Burgoyne's Conven- 
tion, 3000 Dollars for one ex- 
change for Silver : that for the 
purpose of raising this Sum ot 



13 

Money said Stephen Tuttle 
sold his Negroes and Cattle . ^^400 " " 
To 30 : 2000 Dollars at 20 for ore 

exchange for Silver 40 " " 

;^3003 " 16 " 
Deduct for the sums due on Mort- 
gages 465 " " 

Total Losses 2538 " 16 " 

A true Account of the Incumber- 
ances on the foregoing Estate of 
Stephen Tuttle, Esq'' as follows, To 
wit : New York Currency. 

One Mortgage to Derich Lefforts for* ^300 " " 
One ditto to Daniel Campbell Esqr for 1 25 " " 
And one Mortgage to Philip van Run- 
ster for ;^8oo Congress Money that 
v^hen payable was at 20 exchange 
for one of Silver Currency of New 
York equal to 40 " " 

* Compare with name as given on page 16. 



This last mentioned Mortgage was 
given for the purpose of raising Money 
to defray the Expences occurred to 
the said Stephen Tuttle by his having 
assisted Persons in Goal and in mak- 
ing their escape to New York &^^, 
which had involved him on that Ac- 
count. 

The foregoing is the best Account 
that can be made by said Stephen 
Tuttle of all his affairs in his present 
Circumstances. 

Stephen Tuttle. 
Halifax, Nova Scotlv, 2^ Dec: 1785. 
Evidence in the Case of Stephen Tuttle 

formerly of Albany. 
Claimant Sworn, 

Is a Native of New Jersey — at the 
commencement of the troubles he was 



15 

settled 47 Miles from Albany as a 
Farmer.- — he was deputy Surveyor 
General of the Province and Justice 
of the Peace. — At the breaking out of 
the troubles in 1774 he was offered a 
Company in the Rebel Service which 
he refused. He steadily & uniformly 
acted a Loyal part, he never took any 
Oath to the Americans, altho' it was 
often tendered to him and threatned 
for refusal. General Arnold threatned 
to hang him for a Rebel. He joined 
the British on Lake Champlain in 
1779. Prior to that he took every 
Opportunity of assisting the Loyalists 
and British Prisoners. — He would 
have joined General Burgoyne but 
was prevented by the Rebel Army. — 
He says he sent five Sons to serve in 
the British Army. — Says he has re- 



i6 

mained in Canada with the British 
Army ever since. — He furnished arms 
& ammunition to the Loyahsts early 
in the war. His Claim was carried 
home from Canada by Colonel Jessup 
in October, 1783,— he then resided 
120 Miles above Quebec. — he saw the 
Account of the Act appoint? Com- 
missioners to enquire into the Losses 
& Services of the Loyalists in the 
Quebec Gazette some days before. 

Property. — All his Papers & Letters 
were lost on his way thro' the woods 
to join the British in 1779. 

351 Acres 3 Miles below Fort Ed- 
ward on Hudson's River, he bought 
this about 1773 of Derrick Liffords 
and Daniel Campbell for ^^700 New 
York Currency — there was very little 
clearance on it. he thinks he laid out 



17 
near as much in Improvements Sixty- 
Six Acres were cleared, Swears he 
thinks he could have sold this for 
;^I300 New York Currency, — 

15 Acres an Improvement bought 
of Hugh Mollay adjoining the former 
— there was a House on it and the 
Lands all cleared — value £^0 New 
York Currency, 

1050 Acres in the North East 
branch of Hudson's River. — a Grant, 
and no Cultivation on it — the Grant 
was dated in 1769 — values it at 372'* 
N. York Currency p Acre ^168 N. Y. 

210 Acres adjoining the South Bay 
10 Miles from Skeenes borough was 
a Serjeant's Right last war, he gave 
£^ Currency for this — was not culti- 
vated — admits that there was a Con- 
dition to cultivate — values it at £^14 
New York Currency. 



i8 

250 Acres at the Corner of the 
artillery Patents purchased of one 
Gilchrist — he had a Lease for ever 
paying 6^ per Acre for ever after 81 
years — the Lease was dated in 1770 
this never produced him any thing, 
but it was valuable Land. 

N. Y. Cur. 
Personal Property. — Hay on the 
Ground, destroyed by the Ameri- 
cans ;^l6 " " 

5 Acres of Buckwheat on the Ground 20 « " 
18 Bushels of Potatoes planted . . 22 " 10 " 
2 young Horses taken by the Amer- 
icans 45 " " 

20 Sheep at 9/ 9 " " 

14 Hogs at 34 " " 

Farming Uttensils 30 " " 

Furniture 35 " " 

Tools 2 " 

;^2i3 " 10" 



19 

Liquors taken by the Rebels . . . ;^i i '< 6 " 
Expence in furnishing Arms and 

Ammunition for the LoyaHsts . 24 " lo " 
States debts due to him 57 1 " " 

He owed to Americans ^465 there 
were Mortgages on the Estate. And 
about ^20 to Friends to Government. 
All his property is sold under Confis- 
cation — he believes his debts were 
paid out of it. Fines for not fighting 
against the King ;^40 Currency. 
Says he lost the use of his right arm 
by Cold in going thro' the woods to 
join the British. Certificate to his 
being considered a Loyalist in 1777 
by the Rebels from General Arnold. 
Certificate from Thomas Mann High 
Sheriff of Gaspee — formerly Ensign 
in Loyal Rangers. — To Loyalty and 
having assisted Loyalists in distress. 



20 

Place — Deputy Surveyor of Lands. 
He had 20 Sh: Currency p Diem 
when employed and thinks it was 
worth ^^150 Currency p Annum to 
him — Appointment by Alex"! Colden 
produced dated 15th June 1768. 

Witness — John Leonard Sworn. 
He travelled as a pedlar in New York 
Province about 1775, he always heard 
M": Tuttle consider'd as a Loyal Sub- 
ject, he has been in his House and 
he lived in a good Stile. 

34 Decern'' Claimant delivers in 
an Account of different Articles fur- 
nished British Soldiers & Loyalists as 
follows. 

Account of Sundries expended by 
Stephen Tuttle formerly of Albany in 
the Province of New York for and in 
support of His Majesty's Troops & 



21 



Other Loyalists during the RebeUion 
in America. 

To supplying a Party of Men about 36 in 
number with provisions and other ne- 
cessaries, they being obliged to hide 
themselves in the woods for more than 
3 weeks until I got a Pilot to take them 

to Canada . . . . * £lo '"* 

To supplying a number of British Sol- 
diers from August to November in 
1777 prisoners in the City Hall and 
Fort in Albany with Provisions and 

other Necessaries 120 « « 

To assisting private Expresses from Can- 
ada to the British Army and my riding 
3 days and nights in getting Intelli- 
gence for Serjeant Major Kelly and 
supporting him and his Company . , 15 " " 
To taking out of Jail and forwarding to 
New York about 30 British Soldiers 
and finding them Provisions, Money 
and other Necessaries as also a num- 
ber of others to Canada and providing 



22 

Guides and every thing necessary for 
their support as also my constant at- 
tention to give whatever intelligence 
I possibly could to the British for 
which I was forced to sell my Negroes 
and Cattle on purpose to raise money 
to answer the above ends £^3S 



New York Currency ;!^440 " " 

Capt. Jonath Jones — Sworn 

Claim*, was a near Neighbour of 
M": Jones's in Albany County and be- 
lieves he was a Steady Loyal Subject 
to Great Britain, and he was of use in 
assisting Loyalists in the Country — 
he cannot say whether he was at any 
great expence on that account. 

He was a Deputy Surveyor which 
was an advantage to him. He re- 
members his property near F*. Ed- 
ward there was a house on it, and 



23 

consid¥^ Improvements — he thinks 
the property might be worth ^lOOO 
Currency — has always understood 
that there was encumb*".^^ on it. 

When Witness left the Country 
M": Tuttle had considerable Stock — 
but cannot speak to the particulars of 
his Loss — 

Halifax 2i^t Feby. 1786. 
Further Evidence on the Claim of 

Stephen Tuttle. 
Edmond Butler, Witness Sworn, 

Says he lived 36 Miles from Claim- 
ant — he was always repprted to be a 
true Loyalist, he remembers he gave 
all assistance to Loyalists and British 
Soldiers. 

He had some Sons, one of which 
went to serve in the British Army, 
believes the others were young. 



24 

In 1778 he went to Quebec as he 
could not Hve at his own home. 

Property. — Recollects his House 
and Farm at Fort Edward, it was a 
good House, and Barn, and in an im- 
proving Farm, — but he cannot speak 
to particulars. 

When he lived in Albany in 178 1, 
he understood that Tuttle's Property 
was disposed of. 

Recollects he was a Deputy Sur- 
veyor. 



1 



^«v 




Y^ 



::^-A^ 



